Rhine river cruise ()
The mighty Rhine River rises in the Swiss Alps and empties into the North Sea near Rotterdam, Netherlands. Along the banks of its 765-mile path, numerous great cities including Basel, Switzerland; Strasbourg, France and Cologne and Düsseldorf, Germany can be found. But there’s one stretch in particular that has fueled the lion’s share of the myths and legends surrounding Western Europe’s second-longest river.
The Upper Middle Rhine Valley is the official term for the 40-mile length of the river between Bingen and Koblenz, Germany. Colloquially known as the Rhine Gorge, the officially designated UNESCO World Heritage Site is a fairytale land of brooding castle ruins, medieval half-timbered villages and impossibly steep vineyards. Sandstone cliffs and hairpin turns add yet more drama to a landscape that has been inspiring poets and artists for centuries.
All aboard
In addition to the barges and working craft plying up and down the Rhine, dozens of cruise vessels ferry tourists along the entirety of the river’s navigable stretch. For many passengers, the highlight of this weeklong tour will be the time spent in the Rhine Gorge. For those without unlimited vacation time or the deep pockets needed to spend a week onboard ship, day cruises can make for a fun and affordable alternative.
The Köln-Düsseldorfer Deutsche Rheinschiffahrt, KD for short, offers regular sailings aboard its extensive fleet of riverboats from April through October. Passengers can hop on board in Mainz or Wiesbaden-Biebrich and cruise as far as Koblenz or vice-versa; they can also elect to hop off at any number of adorable towns such as Rüdesheim, Bacharach or St. Goar. Once a town has been thoroughly explored, they can either board another ship back to their starting points or hop a train for their homebound journeys.
KD Lines’ additional offerings include a historical paddle steamer named Goethe that makes its way from Koblenz to Rüdesheim and back once a day, or a special sailing from the town of Boppard to the Loreley, a monument to a mythical maiden who threw herself into the Rhine River in despair over her faithless lover. Magically transformed into a siren upon her death, she sits on a rock and combs her golden hair, distracting sailors and making them run their ships aground. The beloved legend has inspired a popular song; don’t be surprised if the German-speaking passengers onboard start singing it loudly as the ship sails past the monument.
Other KD specials include ship-bicycle and ship-cable car combination tickets. Onboard party nights, after-work and evening cruises can also be booked. Boat tickets can be purchased online or at onshore booths near the landing stages.
The Bingen-Rüdesheimer Schifffahrtsgesellschaft is another shipping company serving the Rhine Gorge area. Its so-called “ring ticket” offers a boat ride from Bingen to Rüdesheim, from where passengers can hike or take a chair lift to the imposing Niederwald Monument, erected in 1883 to commemorate the unification of Germany. From there, they can either hike or take a different chairlift down into the town of Assmannshausen before boarding another ship to take them back to their starting point. Ring tickets offering a similar itinerary are also available departing from the town of Bacharach.
Special events
In non-pandemic times, there are five summer evenings in particular when it’s a special treat to be on board a ship. Rhine in Flames events are evenings during which the cities of Bonn, Bingen, Goarshausen, Koblenz, Oberwesel, Rüdesheim and Spay take turns hosting brilliant displays of fireworks set against a backdrop of illuminated vineyards and monuments. A merry convoy of riverboats done up in lights chugs slowly along the Rhine, granting those on board front-row seats to the action. These spectacles take place on selected weekends between May and September. The USO typically offers tours inclusive of bus transfers and an onboard program including dinner and live entertainment on many of the Rhine in Flames dates.
In between the day trip and weeklong cruise options is another wonderful way to discover the Rhine and its villages. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, several riverboat tour operators offer three-day cruises departing from Cologne and calling in at towns with their Christmas markets in full swing. Tour-goers get to experience all the magic of the markets for several hours without the hassle of driving or parking, and once their toes and noses have grown nippy, their warm and sumptuously decorated riverboat home awaits them just steps away.
The wild beauty and romance of the Rhine is undoubtedly one of Germany’s best touristic assets, and the experience of being afloat in its mythical, ever-flowing waters is as timeless as the river itself.
